This Whistler Village hotel combines one of the best locations in town with excellent spa facilities, spacious rooms, good leisure facilities and a standout restaurant. It is also a very strong all-rounder, with something for couples, families and groups looking to enjoy Whistler.
As part of our series exploring spa hotels abroad and comparing them with some of the best spa hotels in Ireland, we checked into the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa in British Columbia.
Whistler is one of Canada’s best-known mountain resort towns, and the Hilton has one of the most convenient locations you could ask for. It sits right in the heart of Whistler Village, close to the Whistler Blackcomb gondolas, restaurants, bars, shops and many of the activities that make the town such a popular year-round destination.
You can walk out of the hotel and be right in the middle of the main action within minutes, which makes a big difference when you’re only staying for a few days.
It also feels like a very good all-rounder. There is enough going on for couples looking for a spa break, families who want plenty of activities nearby and groups looking for somewhere central with good food, leisure facilities and access to Whistler itself.
After experiencing the hotel, spa, restaurant and some of Whistler’s summer activities, our verdict is straightforward: this is an excellent resort hotel with something for pretty much everyone.
First impressions and our room – spacious, modern and right in Whistler Village
The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa is a sizeable property, with 287 rooms and suites, but despite its scale it feels modern, comfortable and well maintained.
Hilton completed a major renovation of the property in December 2024, introducing a more modern, mountain-inspired look throughout the resort.
Our room was extremely spacious, spotlessly clean and came with a lovely balcony looking out towards the surrounding mountain range. It was a great view to wake up to and added a lot to the overall feel of the room.
If you’re travelling around Canada by car, the hotel’s covered underground parking is also particularly convenient. Self-parking and valet parking are both available, as are EV charging and in-and-out privileges.
Again, the location is a major advantage. You’re staying right in the heart of Whistler, so once the car is parked you can comfortably explore much of the village on foot.
Tennis, pickleball and the gym – a great way to switch off
There is an outdoor heated pool and hot tub, alongside tennis facilities and a fitness centre.
We spent some time on the tennis court during our stay and played both tennis and pickleball, with equipment available for guests.
For me, it was a surprisingly enjoyable part of the stay and a great way to switch off for a while.
I find racket sports particularly good for that because you have to react quickly and concentrate on what is happening in the moment. There isn’t much opportunity for your mind to wander when you’re waiting for the next ball.
It was a nice change after travelling and working, and having the option to switch between tennis and pickleball made it even better.
The court wasn’t busy when we visited and we were able to use it without booking in advance, although that could obviously vary depending on when you stay.
There is also a small but good gym. It isn’t an enormous hotel fitness centre, but it has everything you need for a basic workout and was more than enough for what we wanted during a short stay.
These facilities also help make the Hilton a good family-friendly option. There are enough things to do around the hotel itself, while Whistler Village and its activities are right outside the door.
The spa was the biggest surprise – the best facial treatment I’ve ever had
One of the biggest highlights of our stay was Damara Day Spa & Medical Aesthetics, located within Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa.
We both experienced the spa during our stay, with each of us having a massage followed by a facial treatment. Georgia experienced an Esse facial, using professional Esse skincare, while I experienced Damara’s OxyGeneo facial, one of the spa’s more advanced facial treatments.
The massages were a welcome chance to properly relax after travelling and exploring Whistler, but for me, the OxyGeneo facial was the real standout.
I’ve stayed in and reviewed some excellent spa hotels and experienced plenty of high-quality treatments over the years, so I don’t say this lightly: it was the best facial I’ve ever had.
OxyGeneo is an advanced facial treatment designed to exfoliate, oxygenate and infuse the skin. Damara offers several variations of the treatment, including options incorporating technologies such as ultrasound and TriPollar.
What impressed me most was the result. Immediately afterwards, my skin looked and felt noticeably better. Saying I looked a few years younger might sound like an exaggeration, but that was genuinely how I felt walking out.
Having the treatments within the hotel also made the experience particularly convenient. It meant we could spend part of the day exploring Whistler before returning to the Hilton, switching off and enjoying some proper spa time without having to leave the resort.
For anyone booking Hilton Whistler with relaxation or wellness in mind, Damara is definitely worth making time for during your stay.
Damara has also partnered with Hilton Whistler on a dedicated spa package. The package includes a $100 spa credit per night, per person when booked using promo code DAMSPA through Hilton. Guests can use the credit towards treatments at Damara during their stay.
Dinner at Cinnamon Bear – one of the best meals of our Canada trip
Another major highlight was dinner at Cinnamon Bear, the Hilton’s restaurant and bar.
Cinnamon Bear has been part of Whistler’s food and drink scene for more than 30 years and was also recently redesigned as part of the hotel’s refurbishment. It combines a restaurant with a lively bar and après atmosphere rather than feeling like a formal hotel dining room.
We loved that balance. You can have a high-quality dinner, but there’s still enough atmosphere around the bar that the place feels fun.
Our server, Annabelle, who was from England, was exceptional: professional, knowledgeable and one of the best members of staff we encountered during our trip.
For starters, Georgia and I shared the Grilled Japanese Eggplant, served with maple miso, shimeji mushrooms and kuro goma, or black sesame.
It was a great start to the meal. The eggplant was tender and the maple miso gave it a sweet and savoury glaze, while the mushrooms and sesame worked brilliantly alongside it.
For my main, Annabelle recommended the 63 Acres Ranch ribeye from British Columbia.
I’m actually quite reluctant to order steak in restaurants. I’m not someone who automatically chooses steak when I see it on a menu because I’ve had too many disappointing ones in the past. For me, steak is only worth ordering when it is done properly.
This one absolutely was.
The ribeye was beautifully cooked and came with creamy mashed potato and a fantastic buttery sauce, with tender broccoli on the side.
It wasn’t just a very good steak. It was definitely the best steak I’ve ever had.
The quality of the beef, the way it was cooked and the sides all came together perfectly. If you’re eating at Cinnamon Bear and enjoy steak, the 12oz 63 Acres Ranch ribeye would be my recommendation.
My partner Georgia is vegan, so we were also interested to see how well the restaurant catered for her.
For her main, she ordered the Spicy Fried Cauliflower, which she loved.
It’s always a good sign when a hotel restaurant doesn’t treat the vegan option as an afterthought, and Georgia was genuinely impressed with her meal.
We paired dinner with red and white wine and also tried some of the cocktails in the bar, which were excellent. We’d definitely recommend staying for a drink at Cinnamon Bear even if you aren’t having a full meal.
Between Annabelle’s service, the food and the atmosphere, dinner was easily one of the highlights of our stay.
Breakfast and L’Après Café – two easy options before exploring Whistler
Breakfast is served at Cinnamon Bear too.
We ordered from the à la carte menu on our first morning and tried the buffet on the second. For us, the buffet was the better option simply because of the flexibility and choice.
There are two buffet options: a continental buffet with fruit, cereals, yoghurt, granola, oatmeal, breads and baked goods, and a larger full buffet that adds hot dishes and made-to-order eggs, omelettes and Benedicts.
Breakfast was perfectly good hotel-standard food, although dinner was undoubtedly the culinary highlight of our stay.
Downstairs you’ll also find L’Après Café & Lounge, which is particularly useful if you’re heading out for the day. It serves house-made food, snacks and sweet treats alongside Starbucks drinks and speciality coffee, so it’s an easy place to grab something before exploring Whistler.
What to do in Whistler – from Canada’s longest zipline to mountain biking
One of the Hilton’s biggest advantages is that you’re staying in the middle of an extraordinary outdoor destination.
We tried The Sasquatch with Ziptrek Ecotours, which is not just Whistler’s longest zipline. At more than two kilometres long, it is billed by Ziptrek as the longest zipline in Canada and the USA, reaching speeds well above 100 km/h and travelling between Blackcomb and Whistler mountains.
It was unbelievable and easily one of our Whistler highlights.
Summer also transforms the ski terrain into a mountain-biking destination. Whistler Mountain Bike Park is described by Whistler Blackcomb as North America’s largest bike park, with more than 80 kilometres of trails spread across several mountain zones.
Add hiking, lakes, golf and the huge choice of restaurants and bars around the village and you could easily spend several days here without running out of things to do.
That range of activities is another reason the Hilton works so well as an all-rounder. Families have plenty to do, couples can mix spa time with outdoor activities, and groups can stay right beside the main nightlife, restaurants and attractions.
Being right in the heart of Whistler also means the Hilton works as an excellent base for exploring all of this without feeling removed from the main village.
The hotel staff were extremely helpful when it came to recommending activities too.
How does Hilton Whistler compare with Irish spa hotels? – the standards are right up there
Irish hotels are particularly strong when it comes to hospitality, so that’s always one of the areas I notice when travelling abroad. Yet the staff at Hilton Whistler were exceptional throughout our stay: welcoming, knowledgeable and consistently professional.
The team is very international too. We met Irish, English, Australian and Canadian staff, among others, so Irish visitors certainly won’t feel far from home.
The biggest compliment I can give Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa is that it doesn’t rely on one standout feature.
The rooms are spacious, the location is excellent, there are plenty of facilities, Cinnamon Bear is genuinely worth visiting for dinner and drinks, and Damara delivered the best facial I’ve ever had.
It is also genuinely family-friendly and works equally well for couples and groups, making it one of those hotels where there really is something for everyone.
Overall, we highly recommend Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa. Its central location, excellent staff, great food, superb spa and range of facilities make it a very strong all-round choice in Whistler.
Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa – how to book a stay
To book a stay at Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, visit the hotel’s official website for the latest rates, rooms and availability.
If you’re planning a spa break, Hilton Whistler also offers a dedicated package with $100 spa credit per night, per person to use at Damara. Book using promo code DAMSPA through Hilton.
With its central Whistler Village location, spacious rooms, excellent restaurant and bar, on-site Damara Day Spa & Medical Aesthetics and easy access to the mountains, it’s a very strong all-round choice for a Whistler stay.
Disclaimer: Our stay at Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa was gifted as part of a collaboration. No money was exchanged for this review, and the hotel had no control over our final opinion or what we chose to include. All views and recommendations in this article are entirely our own and based on our personal experience.
